Agenda item

            The Committee was reminded that on 6th January the following Notice of Motion had been considered by the Council:

“This Council recognises the increasing social and economic hardship experienced by people in our communities as a result of growing unemployment and cuts to welfare benefits. The Council accepts that it has a duty to use the powers available to it (including but not limited to planning, regulation and procurement powers), to generate positive outcomes for the most marginalised in our communities and hereby commits to including at every available opportunity a ‘Real Jobs’ clause in contracts tendered by the Council to procure goods, services and capital works. The ‘Real Jobs’ clause will guarantee ring fenced, fully paid jobs and apprenticeships for the long-term unemployed (12+ months).”

            The motion had been referred to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee when it had been agreed that a report on the matter should be submitted in due course.  The Director of Property and Projects explained that, since January, a number of actions had been undertaken in order to progress the Real Jobs motion, these had included:

·      The Standards of existing social causes had been amended to reflect the requirement of the motion as opportunities arose;

·      The intent of the motion had been captured in capital works tenders for the Waterfront Hall, Connswater Greenway Phase II, the Innovations Centre, the Girdwood Hub and the Olympia Leisure Centre;

·      1226 employment weeks have been secured in upcoming contracts which had been ring-fenced entirely for people who had been out of work for over 12 months; and

·      Employment weeks were used as that ensured contractors were required to fulfil the minimum number of weeks, whereas, by specifying job numbers there was not the same certainty about duration of employment.

            He pointed out that issues remained with the apprenticeships aspects of contracts as there was often a mismatch between contract duration and the length of time taken to complete an apprenticeship.  However, officers were currently looking at models of how that had been addressed elsewhere, for example, in Manchester.  Another consideration was the need to comply with the requirement of partners/funders in respect of contractual matters, and again, ways of dealing with that issue were being explored.

            The Director of Property and Projects stated that work was under way to develop a social clauses policy which would include addressing the issues set out and which would improve also consideration of the “living wage” proposal which had been agreed by the Council earlier in the year.  A full report on progress would be submitted to the Committee in September.  As a direct employer the Council had made considerable progress in respect to supporting people into employment, including the long-term unemployed.  Over the past two years the Council had:

·         Delivered 601 job opportunities and provided 526 work experience placements;

·         Ring-fenced five permanent administrative posts to the long-term unemployed/economically inactive and provided a two week pre?employment programme for 40 long-term unemployed/economically inactive participants to help them apply for the 5 ring-fenced posts;

·         Delivered a similar programme for seasonal cleansing operative positions, inviting 30 people to participate and helping them apply for five ring-fenced posts;

·         Provided 16 one year paid industrial placements for students at local universities;

·         Created 10 new Apprenticeships;

·         Committed £300,000 to a bursary scheme to help those aged 16-24 into further education, training and employment and awarded approximately £93,000 to date to 432 young people; and

·         Part funded European Social Fund funded programmes which had resulted in 1,551 people gaining recognised qualifications/accreditation and 604 people moving into employment.

            The Council had been recognised recently for its work in supporting the long-term unemployed by the Business in the Community Organisation when it had received a Northern Ireland Impact Award.

            The Committee noted the information which had been provided